Giants, A's spring training: 3 hikes

SPRING TRAINING ISSUE Three hikes in spring training country for those who want more exercise than 7th-inning stretch

Though not a long hike, Camelback Mountain is steep, rocky and challenging. As you climb higher, you get fine views of the Valley of the Sun and the sharp contrast between the Phoenix suburbs and the shimmering desert landscape that surrounds them. Elevation gain from trailhead to summit is 1,264 feet. less

Though not a long hike, Camelback Mountain is steep, rocky and challenging. As you climb higher, you get fine views of the Valley of the Sun and the sharp contrast between the Phoenix suburbs and the shimmering ... more

Photo: Istockphoto.com

Photo: Istockphoto.com

Image
1of/10

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 10

Though not a long hike, Camelback Mountain is steep, rocky and challenging. As you climb higher, you get fine views of the Valley of the Sun and the sharp contrast between the Phoenix suburbs and the shimmering desert landscape that surrounds them. Elevation gain from trailhead to summit is 1,264 feet. less

Though not a long hike, Camelback Mountain is steep, rocky and challenging. As you climb higher, you get fine views of the Valley of the Sun and the sharp contrast between the Phoenix suburbs and the shimmering ... more

Photo: Istockphoto.com

Giants, A's spring training: 3 hikes

1 / 10

Back to Gallery

"Don't tell people about this place," said Claude the Water Guy.

Near the top of Camelback Mountain's bustling Summit Trail, just bunting distance from Scottsdale Stadium, the friendly 65-year-old hiker shared extra water with hikers who didn't bring enough.

But he'd rather keep his favorite hiking spot as much of a secret as possible. When I reached the summit and took in the view of towering saguaros, distant purple mountains and clay-red desert, I understood why.

As I caught my breath, I thought: Now this is a seventh-inning stretch.

Sure, watching Giants and A's players tune up in the intimate ballparks of Scottsdale and Phoenix is heaven - you can get up close and personal with your idols, hear vets dispensing advice to young players, and bring back a tray of kraut-topped dogs and frothy beers without taking out a second mortgage.

But there's plenty of opportunity in the nearby hills to go from infield to being seriously out-of-the-park. The region's highly rated hiking trails range from an easy stroll through the petroglyph-chiseled rocks in Phoenix South Mountain Park to the challenging ascent of Camelback (where Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval hoofed it last fall to shed some pounds).

Here's a guide to three superb hikes in spring training land:

Camelback Mountain

From a distance, this Phoenix mountain looks like a kneeling camel. On the trail, it feels more like climbing the Sphinx.

Though not a long hike, Camelback is steep, rocky and challenging - at some points you may want to cling to the metal railing for support.

If you were hiking here in mid-November, you might have spotted Sandoval (a.k.a. Kung-fu Panda) climbing Camelback as part of his off-season training regimen. It was reported the infielder took 54 minutes to reach the summit, 38 minutes to descend. You should allow two hours to hike the 2.5-mile (round trip) Summit Trail.

I arrived on a weekday morning around 9 and waited 20 minutes in a line of cars for a spot in the too-small parking lot.

Beginning with a moderate climb, the trail ascends over granite and through spectacular sandstone formations, becoming so steep that on some stretches railings have been installed.

Climbing higher, you get fine views of the Valley of the Sun and the sharp contrast between the Phoenix suburbs and the shimmering desert landscape that surrounds them.

You can almost see the green diamonds where some of the world's top ballplayers are tuning up. Elevation gain from trailhead to summit is 1,264 feet.

In 1879, this area had been set aside for a Pima Indian reservation, but the allocation was rescinded after settlers protested. By the 1940s, the mountain was privately owned.

Conservation efforts in the 1960s, led by Sen. Barry Goldwater, helped Camelback become part of Phoenix's park system. At the park's dedication in 1968, first lady Lady Bird Johnson walked part of the trail - in high heels.

Camelback has become one of the region's most popular outdoor escapes. More than 300,000 people visit here each year, according to city Web sites, a high volume for such a small trail system.

One 72-year-old hiker (sporting a physique that would make Jack LaLanne proud) said he climbs Camelback daily.

Start with a scenic drive up a winding mountain road to Dobbins Point. Below, a stunning vista unfurls: craggy peaks rising around the Phoenix skyline, majestic saguaros reaching for the heavens and hulking boulders as far as the eye can see.

Ten trails range from 1 to 14 miles at South Mountain; you can visit for an easy hike, picnic under a ramada or embark upon a more challenging route.

While a guide isn't required, I wanted an insider's view. I explored the park with Dave Morris, a Native American naturalist and ethnobotanist.

A member of the Choctaw Nation, Morris (who jokes he's an "ethnic botanist") suggested we hike the Holbert Trail and examine its petroglyphs.

The Hohokam people lived here about a millennium ago and later their descendants, the Pima people, inhabited this land, Morris said. They carved designs into the rocks - some intricate, others simple - such as the reverse spiral, which, he said, may symbolize migration.

Other petroglyphs portray animals that inhabit the area, such as javelinas, rattlesnakes and gila monsters. Sadly, some glyphs have been defaced by graffiti or gunshots.

Petroglyphs aren't simply decorative, Morris said. Some are signs, such as a waterfowl figure that pointed to a water source in the hills. Others are ceremonial, he said, pointing out a lizard painted atop a rock, crafted "simply for the Gods to see."

Pinnacle Peak

Since opening in 2002, this Scottsdale park has attracted almost 1 million visitors, but the day we sauntered up we saw few other hikers. The park is about 15 miles north of downtown Scottsdale and far less crowded than Camelback.

A moderate hike over 1.4 billion-year-old granite to a series of vistas, Pinnacle is an ideal place to appreciate the beauty of the Sonoran desert. Allow two hours for the 4-mile round-trip hike - the elevation gain is 319 feet, but if you count all the ups and downs, you'll climb 1,300 feet.

On an interpretive walk with Pinnacle's recreation coordinator John Loleit, I learned that the saguaro, with its vertical accordion-like ridges, can live to be 400 years old and expand to hold a ton of water.

But if you're dying of thirst in the desert, don't cut into one like John Wayne did in old Westerns. The water is stored in pulpy fibers that will make you sick.

A former national park ranger who worked at Mesa Verde, Loleit showed us the teddy-bear cholla cactus that propagates by attaching small growths to an animal's fur, Velcro-like, so it can sprout nearby.

We hiked by a pack rat's nest, seeing how the animal collects bits of cactus and other detritus in a never-ending accumulation, much of the material having no discernable use.

Pinnacle Peak requires some exertion, but the summit vista of distant mountains and rolling desert hills makes the effort worthwhile. Near the top of the trail, Ranger John contentedly surveyed the view.

Greasewood Flat: 27375 N. Alma School Parkway, Scottsdale. (480) 585-9430, www.greasewoodflat.net. An old stagecoach stop near Pinnacle Peak is beloved by for its green-chili burgers, live country music and outdoor picnic-table dining.